Death Sentence
by Kaze Kimizu
Summary: A single picture, a trinket, a ghost from the past. A Death Sentence. MattxMello. WARNING: Contains spoilers, bad language.


"Matt. Where the fuck are you?" Mello growled as he entered the small apartment.

"Mel, I'm in the back. Did you get it?" Matt hollered. He would have met the blonde at the door had he not been sitting on the floor, completely trapped by computer parts and hacking programs.

"Yeah. Fucking Near." Mello leaned against the doorframe of Matt's computer room, crossing his arms with a scowl on his face. "You know, I think he'd have sold me out if I hadn't bargained with him so quickly. That prick. The Kira case seems to be the most important thing on his mind right now. Even though I've done almost all the goddamn work."

"But you got it, right?" Matt grinned at Mello, pushing his goggles away from his tired eyes.

"I got it," Mello sighed. He reached in his back pocket, producing a tiny photo of a young blonde boy. His eyes seemed to fade as he stared into his own reflection. "Matt?"

"Yeah, Mello?"

"Do you...want it?"

"...Are you sure?" Matt stood up from his project and leaned on the wall next to the other boy. His eyes never left Mello's stoic face.

"Yeah. Keep it. I wouldn't trust anyone else with it. This thing is a death sentence."

"Gee, thanks. Give me the death sentence, why don't you?" Matt stuck his tongue out as he reached for the small picture. He ran his thumb over the young Mello's mouth and smiled softly. "Nobody will ever get it. I swear. Kira won't be able to kill you without this picture."

"Good," Mello barked, turning toward the kitchen. "Keep it safe, Matt."

"Sure thing," Matt smirked, sticking the photo in his vest pocket. "It'll be on my person, safe and sound."

"...Thanks." Mello scowled at the ground, trying to hold back a smile. "We need to get ready for tomorrow. You remember the plan, right?"

"I know, I know," Matt laughed, "you've told me a million times! Besides, I've got the easy part. It's you that I'll be worried about."

"Don't mind me. I've gone over this plan in my head a hundred times. It'll be fine. Are you sure you'll be all right?"

"Nothing can stop the Matt Man!" Matt flashed a huge smile. "But Mello...how big of a chance is there this time?"

"...Pretty big. We may or may not come home."

"...Oh. Well then, we'll just have to be careful, right?" Matt patted his pocket tenderly. "I know I'll be back. I've got something to take care of."

"You're such an idiot. Why do I stand you, anyways?"

"Because you LOVE me!" Matt stuck his tongue out at Mello, who flipped his middle finger in return.

"Yeah, yeah. Matt, are you sure you'll be all right?"

"No sweat, Mel. It's like we've always done. We'll be fine."

* * *

_"Fuck, I'm scared."_ Matt felt his fingers tremble on the steering wheel as he finished his third cigarette. Ten minutes until the operation started. Ten minutes. As he fumbled around in his vest pockets for his second pack of cigarettes, his fingers brushed the picture of Mello that had been hiding there. He pulled it out, staring at Mello's serene face for comfort. For strength.

Whammy's seemed like an eternity ago.

Shaking his head of old memories, Matt gently kissed the picture, placing it in the vest pocket above his heart. He lit another cigarette, taking a deep drag. Three minutes left.

"Mello," he thought, "I'll see you soon. We're in this together."

Time.

Matt cranked the car, whipping it toward the crowed of Kira fans. He pointed his weapon out the window and fired once, speeding off in a trail of dust and smoke.

All according to plan.

He glanced in his rearview window just in time to see Mello's motorcycle speed past. _"Good luck, Mello,"_ he thought. His hand brushed his pocket again. He turned the corner in time to see an arsenal of cars tailing him.

"Shit. Ah well, I've always been fond of car chases. It was bound to happen." He laughed nervously, pressing harder on the acceleration.

* * *

"Quick, get on!" Mello yelled at Takada. "I'll take you to safety!" He stiffened as he felt the woman climb on the back of his bike.

_"God speed, Matt,"_ he thought. _"Please come home tonight. All according to plan."_

Mello sped his bike past the Kira supporters, down back alleyways. He kept an intense focus on his mission. The cars following him were soon lost as he turned a sharp corner. He slapped one handcuff on the confused and frightened woman, as he sped onward. Once at his destination, he parked the bike in the back of a waiting semi truck. All according to plan.

* * *

"SHIT!" Matt screamed, slamming on his breaks and spinning his car into a tail slide. "They've got me. Mello, I may have just fucked up our plan... These guys have been waiting for me. How many guards does Takada have?" Matt took a deep breath as he stepped outside his vehicle, hands in the air.

"Hey now, where did you guys get possession of those lovely firearms? I thought Japanese weren't allowed to have them." He laughed shakily, coming up with an alternate plan in his mind. "And besides," he continued, "you want to find out where my accomplice has taken Takada to, right? You can't possibly fire at..."

His words were cut off as a bullet zoomed into the space above his heart. His eyes grew wide as more bullets struck his body. He fell backwards, sinking against his car with a thud. "The picture..." he thought, fading away from reality. "...ruined..."

"...damn."

His last breath slipped out as the cigarette slipped from his lips, dropping teasingly on the very pocket in which the photo hid, tattered and bloody. Unrecognizable.

* * *

"Undress," Mello ordered the trembling woman in front of him. "Put everything in that box." He tossed a blanket at her, giving her privacy. He might be cruel, but he was no pervert. Keeping the gun aimed at her back, Mello waited until she was completely naked before locking the door to the truck behind him.

As he drove the semi truck to the decided destination, his eyes flicked over to the built-in television screen. His heart stopped when he saw an image of a bullet-ridden red car. "With regards to the man who was shot dead, his identity is still unknown," the television announcer's voice read monotonously.

_**Matt.**_

"Matt..." Mello whispered, unbelieving, "I got you killed. I'm so sorry..."

_"Damn!"_ Mello thought, screaming inside his skull_. "Matt! My Matt... There's no way I can go home without you, Matt. Mail. Idiot..."_

As he turned in toward the abandoned church, where he was originally supposed to meet Matt, Mello felt a tightness grip his chest.

_"Grief? No...shit, Matt! Neither one of us is coming home tonight. Kira...Kira got me. Matt..."_ Mello gasped at the pain as a blinding flash streaked across his eyes. _"I'll see you in hell, my friend."_


End file.
